Recent progress in high-bit-rate applications of four-wave-mixing in SOAs

Non-linearities in semiconductor optical amplifiers have been used to demonstrate a wide range of functions applicable to future optical networks such as wavelength conversion and optical switching. Four-wave-mixing effects in SOAs have been studied extensively in many laboratories with respect to the underlying physical processes and system applications. At BT Labs an optimisation of SOAs for FWM has been achieved by altering the device active layer composition and by increasing the device length. We will review recent progress at BT Labs in dispersion compensation, wavelength conversion and demultiplexing at bit-rates of 40Gbit/s using these devices.

An efficient frequency-domain algorithm for wave scattering problems with application to jet noise

This paper presents a pseudo-time-step method to calculate a (vector) Green function for the adjoint linearised Euler equations as a scattering problem in the frequency domain, for use as a jet-noise propagation prediction tool. A method of selecting the acoustics-related solution in a truncated spatial domain while suppressing any possible shear-layer-type instability is presented. Numerical tests for 3-D axisymmetrical parallel mean flows against semi-analytical reference solutions indicate that the new iterative algorithm is capable of producing accurate solutions with modest computational requirements.

Evaluation of wave drag reduction by flow control

An analytical expression is proposed to estimate the wave drag of an aerofoil equipped with shock control. The analysis extends the conventional approach for a single normal shock wave, based on the knowledge that all types of successful shock control on transonic aerofoils cause bifurcated λ-shock structures. The influence of surface curvature on the λ-shock structure has been taken into account. The extended method has been found to produce fairly good agreement with the results obtained by CFD methods while requiring negligible computational effort. This new formulation is expected to be beneficial in the industrial design process of transonic aerofoils and wings where a large number of computational simulations have to be performed.

Discrete dislocation plasticity analysis of crack-tip fields in polycrystalline materials

Small scale yielding around a mode I crack is analysed using polycrystalline discrete dislocation plasticity. Plane strain analyses are carried out with the dislocations all of edge character and modelled as line singularities in a linear elastic material. The lattice resistance to dislocation motion, nucleation, interaction with obstacles and annihilation are incorporated through a set of constitutive rules. Grain boundaries are modelled as impenetrable to dislocations. The polycrystalline material is taken to consist of two types of square grains, one of which has a bcc-like orientation and the other an fcc-like orientation. For both orientations there are three active slip systems. Alternating rows, alternating columns and a checker-board-like arrangement of the grains is used to construct the polycrystalline materials. Consistent with the increasing yield strength of the polycrystalline material with decreasing grain size, the calculations predict a decrease in both the plastic zone size and the crack-tip opening displacement for a given applied mode I stress intensity factor. Furthermore, slip-band and kink-band formation is inhibited by all grain arrangements and, with decreasing grain size, the stress and strain distributions more closely resemble the HRR fields with the crack-tip opening approximately inversely proportional to the yield strength of the polycrystalline materials. The calculations predict a reduction in fracture toughness with decreasing grain size associated with the grain boundaries acting as effective barriers to dislocation motion.

An experimental study of unsteady separated shock wave boundary layer interactions

An experimental investigation of the unsteady interaction between a turbulent boundary layer and a normal shock wave of strength M∞ = 1.4 subject to periodic forcing in a parallel walled duct has been conducted. Emphasis has been placed on the mechanism by which changes in the global flow field influence the local interaction structure. Static pressure measurements and high speed Schlieren images of the unsteady interaction have been obtained. The pressure rise across the interaction and the appearance of the local SBLI structure have been observed to vary during the cycle of periodic shock wave motion. The magnitude of the pressure rise across the interaction is found to be related to the relative Mach number of the unsteady shock wave as it undergoes periodic motion. Variations in the upstream Influence of the interaction are sensitive to the magnitude and direction of shock wave velocity and acceleration and it is proposed that a viscous lag exists between the point of boundary layer separation and the shock wave position. Further work exploring the implications of these findings is proposed, including studies of the variation in position of the points of boundary layer separation and reattachment.

Micro-ramp control for oblique shock wave / boundary layer interactions

Supersonic engine intakes operating supercritically feature shock wave / boundary layer interactions (SBLIs), which are conventionally controlled using boundary layer bleed. The momentum loss of bleed flow causes high drag, compromising intake performance. Micro-ramp sub-boundary layer vortex generators (SBVGs) have been proposed as an alternative form of flow control for oblique SBLIs in order to reduce the bleed requirement. Experiments have been conducted at Mach 2.5 to characterise the flow details on such devices and investigate their ability to control the interaction between an oblique shock wave and the naturally grown turbulent boundary layer on the tunnel floor. Micro-ramps of four sizes with heights ranging from 25% to 75% of the uncontrolled boundary layer thickness were tested. The flow over all sizes of microramp was found to be similar, featuring streamwise counter-rotating vortices which entrain high momentum fluid, locally reducing the boundary layer displacement thickness. When installed ahead of the shock interaction it was found that the positioning of the micro-ramps is of limited importance. Micro-ramps did not eliminate flow separation. However, the previously two-dimensional separation was broken up into periodic three-dimensional separation zones. The interaction length was reduced and the pressure gradient across the interaction was increased.

Tsunami wave loading on coastal houses: A model approach

The Asian tsunami of 26 December 2004 killed over 220 000 people and devastated coastal structures, including many thousands of traditional brick-built homes. This paper presents the results of model tests that compare the impact of a tsunami wave on a typical coastal house with that on a new tsunami resistant design developed in the USA and now built in Sri Lanka Digital images recorded during the test reveal how the tsunami wave passed through the new house design without damaging it but severely damaged the typical coastal house. Pressure sensor results also provided further insight into tsunami wave loading, indicating that the established Japanese method significantly underestimates maximum impact load.

A single all-optical processor for multiple spectral amplitude code label recognition using four wave mixing

We propose a novel label processor which can recognize multiple spectral-amplitude-code labels using four-wave-mixing sidebands and selective optical filtering. Ten code-labels x 10 Gbps variable-length packets are transmitted over a 200 km single-hop switched network.

Wave energy emulator and AC/DC rectifiers for direct drive wave energy converters

This paper describes a solid state electrical emulator devised for laboratory testing of power conditioning electronics for direct drive linear wave energy converters (DDLWEC). Two rectification strategies are considered; a uni-directional boost topology, and an H-bridge which may be controlled in either uni- or bidirectional modes.

Design and commissioning of a 30kw direct drive wave generator

The Trident Energy TE5 is a prototype wave energy converter operating on the principle of having direct-drive linear generators mounted above the water surface, coupled to floats moving under the rig deck. This paper describes aspects of the TE5 design, including its generators, power electronic systems and the conception of its marine structure.

ZnO thin film surface acoustic wave based lab-on-a-chip

Lab-on-a-chip (LOC) is one of the most important microsystem applications with promise for use in microanalysis, drug development, diagnosis of illness and diseases etc. LOC typically consists of two main components: microfluidics and sensors. Integration of microfluidics and sensors on a single chip can greatly enhance the efficiency of biochemical reactions and the sensitivity of detection, increase the reaction/detection speed, and reduce the potential cross-contamination, fabrication time and cost etc. However, the mechanisms generally used for microfluidics and sensors are different, making the integration of the two main components complicated and increases the cost of the systems. A lab-on-a-chip system based on a single surface acoustic wave (SAW) actuation mechanism is proposed. SAW devices were fabricated on nanocrystalline ZnO thin films deposited on Si substrates using sputtering. Coupling of acoustic waves into a liquid induces acoustic streaming and motion of droplets. A streaming velocity up to ∼ 5cm/s and droplet pumping speeds of ∼lcm/s were obtained. It was also found that a higher order mode wave, the Sezawa wave is more effective in streaming and transportation of microdroplets. The ZnO SAW sensor has been used for prostate antigen/antibody biorecognition systems, demonstrated the feasibility of using a single actuation mechanism for lab-on-a-chip applications. © 2010 Materials Research Society.

On a classical problem of acoustic wave scattering by a free vortex: Numerical modelling

The scattering of sound from a point source by a Rankine vortex is investigated numerically by solving the Euler equations with the novel high-resolution CABARET method. For several Mach numbers of the vortex, the time-average amplitudes of the scattered field obtained from the numerical modeling are compared with the theoretical scaling laws' predictions. Copyright © 2009 by Sergey Karabasov.

An experimental and numerical study of an oscillating transonic shock wave in a duct

A combined experimental and numerical study of a transonic shock wave in a parallel walled duct subject to downstream pressure perturbations has been conducted. Experiments and simulations have been carried out with a shock strength of M∞ = 1.4 for pressure perturbation frequencies in the range 16-90 Hz. The dynamics of unsteady shock motion and the interaction structure between the unsteady transonic shock wave and the turbulent tunnel floor boundary layer have been investigated. It is found that the (experimentally measured) dynamics of shock motion are generally well predicted by the computational scheme, especially at relatively low (≈ 40 Hz) frequencies. However, at higher frequencies (≈ 90 Hz), some subtle differences between the shock dynamics measured in experiments and those predicted by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) exist. There is evidence from experiments that variations in shock / boundary layer interaction (SBLI) structure caused by shock motion are responsible for a change in the nature of shock dynamics between low and high frequency. In contrast, numerical results at low and high frequencies do not differ significantly and this suggests that the numerical method is not fully capturing the physics of the unsteady flow. Possible reasons for this are considered and a number of areas where CFD is unable to replicate experimental observations are identified. Significantly, CFD predicts changes in SBLI structure due to shock motion that are much too large and this may explain why none of the subtle effects on shock dynamics seen in experiments occur in CFD. Further work developing numerical methods that demonstrate a more realistic sensitivity of SBLI structure to unsteady shock motion is required. Copyright © 2010 by P.J.K. Bruce.